Medical Genetics Job Market

[Leukocyte]

Hello, I am a guy who is looking for a career change. I completed a FM residency and did not like it (way too clinical and broad for me). So I am doing a second residency in Preventive Medicine, but I found out that there is no such thing as a preventive medicine doctor. So I am now looking at other alternatives (yes, a third residency ).

I like Pathology, but it is too late from me now. I am 36 YO and Pathology is at least another 5 years. Plus the job market in Pathology is not good from what I hear. So I have been looking at Medical Genetics as an alternative. I love working with kids, and the field has many Pathology-like characteristics. I have been looking at the job market for Medical Genetics, but there seems to be very few info on it. The salary seems to be on the low end, and the openings are very few. So I came here to ask you guys about your experience with Med. Genetics. From your experience, are there jobs out there? Do Med. Genetics specialists have a hard time finding full-time jobs?

Thank You.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[ifailedmcat]

Hello, I am a guy who is looking for a career change. I completed a FM residency and did not like it (way too clinical and broad for me). So I am doing a second residency in Preventive Medicine, but I found out that there is no such thing as a preventive medicine doctor. So I am now looking at other alternatives (yes, a third residency ).

I like Pathology, but it is too late from me now. I am 36 YO and Pathology is at least another 5 years. Plus the job market in Pathology is not good from what I hear. So I have been looking at Medical Genetics as an alternative. I love working with kids, and the field has many Pathology-like characteristics. I have been looking at the job market for Medical Genetics, but there seems to be very few info on it. The salary seems to be on the low end, and the openings are very few. So I came here to ask you guys about your experience with Med. Genetics. From your experience, are there jobs out there? Do Med. Genetics specialists have a hard time finding full-time jobs?

Thank You.

Sorry to hear about your sub-specialty selection woes. I was looking into Pedi Genetics fellowship my 2nd and 3rd years of residency. I actually decided against it because I wasn't willing to commit to the time investment. Pedi Genetics jobs are also highly limited to academic/urban centers. This is where you will need to stick to in order to build an adequate referral base. Jobs are limited and once you graduate, you may even have to look out of state for jobs (depending on your state). A lot of places already have established and senior geneticists with practices covering broad areas. Salary is also on the lower end, but if you are going into anything pedi you have probably already come to terms with this.

 

[settingshadow]

I'm a peds genetics fellow currently (at one of the top national centers), and I have always been told by my attendings that I can have pretty much any job I want. Most geneticists are older and trying to retire. Some of our graduating fellows were offered jobs in response to cold calling their institutions of choice. Your FM background will be a HUGE asset if you want - MANY adult hospitals are desperate for geneticists.

Yes, you are absolutely limited to academic centers, but not necessarily urban ones. Salary (again, per my attendings) is about the same as other cognitive specialties at academic centers. That being said, if you're interested in path, you can do a two year genetics fellowship, followed by a one year fellowship in molecular, cyto or biochem and end up running a clinical lab and be paid a pathologist's salary.

Most places looking for a geneticist don't advertise the opening, instead relying on word of mouth and conferences, but the ABMG and ACMG both run job boards (linked) to get a sense of what's out there.

 

[Funke]

If I wanted my time to be majority clinical, would a fellowship be pointless? Do certain genetics fellowships lend themselves towards working in a lab vs a clinic?

 

[settingshadow]

It's about a 50-50 split between people who mainly do clinical and people who do research labs. In our department, 5 attendings are all clinical and 5 are 80-20 splits in favor of research

 

[Mendelssohn]

late to reply, but am also a fellow at a big academic center and agreed w/ previous poster that there is definitely a need for medical geneticists. There is no shortage of jobs, and in fact, there are many places that need people but don't advertise this. None of the fellows at my program have ever had difficulty finding jobs upon graduating. Most are associated with academic centers, but there are a few growing number of private practices as well. There are a tremendous amount of options in this field - you can do mostly clinical practice if you'd like, or be more research heavy (like 80/20) or you could do research entirely. Depends also if you want to do dysmorphology, metabolism, or both.

 

[reza1991]

Hi. I am a master student in human genetics . and I would like to continue it up to phd . then I have heard there are fellowships available out there that a phd can attend like molecular or cytogenetics and direct a labratory after some 2 or 3 years .

then I saw one of your posts that you said the salary for such fellowships is the same with phatologist's salaries . my question is:
1. is that case also true for me?
II mean not having any MD degrees or Do . just having a PhD in medical genetics and a fellow in molecular or cyto would be enough?
2.how much is the salary for a pathologist?
I am really having a hard time finding any salary data for these mentioned fellows ,I would really be very very thankful for some info and guidance .
by the way I live in canada and I mean these info is also true for here?

I'm a peds genetics fellow currently (at one of the top national centers), and I have always been told by my attendings that I can have pretty much any job I want. Most geneticists are older and trying to retire. Some of our graduating fellows were offered jobs in response to cold calling their institutions of choice. Your FM background will be a HUGE asset if you want - MANY adult hospitals are desperate for geneticists.

Yes, you are absolutely limited to academic centers, but not necessarily urban ones. Salary (again, per my attendings) is about the same as other cognitive specialties at academic centers. That being said, if you're interested in path, you can do a two year genetics fellowship, followed by a one year fellowship in molecular, cyto or biochem and end up running a clinical lab and be paid a pathologist's salary.

Most places looking for a geneticist don't advertise the opening, instead relying on word of mouth and conferences, but the ABMG and ACMG both run job boards (linked) to get a sense of what's out there.

 

[Naruhodo]

Here is a salary survey that includes the breakdown for PhD cytogeneticists/ molecular geneticists: https://www.acmg.net/StaticContent/Survey/2011ACMGSalarySurveyReportFINALMay2012.pdf

If you are a member of ACMG you can get the more recent 2015 survey. I would say the average starting salary today is about $150k, maybe a bit more if you go into industry. I don't really know what pathologists make, but I would suspect it is more than the PhD laboratory geneticists. Feel free to message me if you have more specific questions.